Raven Files chapter 11

Raven led the trio to the huge gateway in the middle ocean.  Once again Zaude, grabbed his ship as they approached in some strange red aura.  Raven did not fight the beam as he remembered from the last encounter.  He moored the ship next to ring and helped Kaufman and Leblanc off.

Raven went in through the same hole as before and began to head to the top of the staircase.  Until he got into the chamber that he had the fight with Yeager before.  Other then two small pools of blood there was no sign that the fight ever took place.  He continue to head to the top of the archway.

“Why is so important we get the top?”  Kaufman panted out of breathe.

“Cause if the legend is true, we can’t let it fall into evil hands”  Raven explained.

“What’s it?”  She asked.

Raven heard the question but ignored it.  He feared even thinking if the legends was true but, Zaude was supposed to be just a myth, not a real place, so maybe he thought the rest of the legend was true too.  Zaude was a piece of ancient technology from the Kritian civilization’s star traveling days.  Zaude was supposed to remain lost for a reason, and he figured a good one as well.

Once they reached the top the archway an opening that led to the crystal top appeared.  Raven continued to move at a breakneck speed.  He saw a figure in the distance but couldn’t make out who it was.

“Hey!”  Raven shouted.

The man just looked his way and smirked.  He had long blonde hair and had a strange object in his hand.  The object was small.  It had a handle and place to put the index finger in a small ring.  The top of the object stretch out towards where he pointed it and there was a small hole at the end of it.

Raven didn’t know what this was but, he knew it wasn’t anything good.  He pulled his mini crossbow which already had a dart ready to fire.  He fired at the man.  Raven was puzzled by the man’s response of laughing at him.

Suddenly, the man pulled the trigger his index finger was on and, the object made a huge noise.  The noise was followed by a small metal projective flying towards Raven.  He slid over just barely missing the metal projectile howling pass.

“Stay back!  This guy got some kind of magical weapon!”  Raven ordered.

Kaufman was frozen in fear for a few moments.  She did not want to leave the love of her life but, Leblanc grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

“We can’t leave him!”  Kaufman proclaimed.

“We’re not leaving Milady, but Raven can’t be his best worrying about us”  Leblanc countered as he continued to lead her back inside.

Raven reached into his bag of tricks and pulled a small black ball and waited for his moment to use it.  The man pointed the object at him again.  Raven threw the ball into the air.  As it reached its apex, the ball broke open and a high pitch sound roared out.  Raven had spent many years developing the ability to focus his senses and filter out what he did not want.  As suspected the man had to cover his ears to the blaring wail.

Raven aimed his bow and fired an arrow directly into the hole of the object.  The man defiantly tried to use the weapon again but with the arrow lodged inside the object backfired and blew up in his hand.  The man screamed out as his hand was burned almost to midnight black skin.

“Who are you and what was that thing?”  Raven interrogated him with his bow still ready on him.

“I’m Duke, and that was a gun, my dear birdie”  Duke laughed insanely.

Duke rushed Raven and before he could fire his bow the man got pass him.  As Raven looked back he saw Duke reached into his pocket and pressed a button on another small object.  Suddenly, a huge roar came from the distance.  A huge metal bird swooped in.  The bird hovered just a foot above the surface of the roof and, it’s upper lip flipped up and Duke climbed inside.

“Some kind of flying machine?”  Raven asked himself.

Kaufman headed back outside as Duke made his ascend.  She was approaching Raven as the Duke flew towards Raven firing his metal bird’s guns at Raven in rapid fire.  Raven stumbled backward as he was hit again and again with metal projectiles, until he fell off the edge of Zaude.

“Raven!”  Kaufman shouted as she ran to the edge of the roof.

Kaufman could only helplessly watched as the world’s greatest ranger and her soul mate fell towards the ocean below.  Tears flowed down her face as hung her head in defeat.  She then decided maybe she could save him by jumping in herself.  She prepared to joined when Leblanc pulled her back.

“No, Lady Kaufman that’s suicide”  He said.

“He’s gone, Leblanc”  She cried into his arms.

The end

To be continued in The Kaufman's Fortunate

Raven Files chapter 10

Raven sat up and grabbed his chest.  The deep plunge of Yeager’s sickle was almost vanished.  Only an inch long scar in its place.  Raven looked around to see he had been moved while he was out.  He stood and gathered up his belongs.

“So you’re leaving without even a word”  A voice from behind.

Raven turned and saw a beautiful Kritian seeing in the doorway.  Her long ears nearly hit the floor and her blue eyes matched her dress.  Raven looked down at his hand where he worn his ring.

“If you were expecting, something intimate, I’m taken”  Raven raised his hand so she could see his vow.

“Oh I know, but your young wife is mad at you right now isn’t she?  You left her on that deserted island”  The female shook her finger and teased Raven.

Raven walked over to her and slightly pushed her to get by.  He wasn’t interested in endless drabble.  He had finally found Zaude and, because of Yeager and this bunny girl he was now not there.  He looked around and recognized Port Torim.  He slightly smiled and thought at least he knew where he was.

“Stop!  Murderer!”  The town guards shouted.

That’s when Raven remembered he had been framed for the murder of Don Whitehorse.  He reached into his bag of tricks and tossed a stick into the air.  When it reached its apex, the stick exploded and the flash blinded everyone around.  Raven was about to head away from town when he saw a ship docked.

It was the Fierta, he figured that Kritian girl used his ship to get him here.  He pulled out his mini crossbow and fired a dart at the anchor line.  Which it went clean through.  He ran as fast as he could and jumped on board.

“Permission to come aboard, Mr. Tskunio”  Raven dusted himself off as he stood.

“Permission granted Mr. Raven”  He bowed.

“If I’m said it a thousand times, I’m going to say it one more time, no mister, I’m just Raven”  Raven took the wheel.

Raven retrace his steps and, came across the same island.  He knew Kaufman would be pissed but, he hoped she had time to cool off by now.  He gasped as he saw an entellica had both Kaufman and Leblanc cornered.  He readied his line shot arrow.  He fired the arrow into a large rock on the island.  He gave it a quick tug to make sure it was secure.  He took his long bow put it across the top of line and slid over the line.  Three quarters across he took out his dagger and cut the line.   He somersaulted over the sand and went quickly to his feet.

“It’s about time you showed up, this is so going to raise my prices”  Kaufman crossed her arms and looked away for a moment.

“I love you too honey”  Raven said with a small laugh.

“We meet again, archer”  Gustoes clawed at him with his talons.

Gustoes the griffion entellica raised he big wings and, dived at Raven.  Raven had to roll out of the way.  He countered with arrow with hit one of Gustoes eagle like wings.  It didn’t even slow down the giant half eagle and half lion brute.  He reached into his bag of tricks and pulled out a small ball.  He threw at Gustoes.  The Griffion tried to knock it back but as his beak made contact with the ball it broke and released a sticky glue.  Just then a large phoenix landed next to Gustoes.

“I told you to leave the archer alone, Gustoes, obey me”  Phaeroh ordered.

The two entellica both flew off.

“I found Zaude, and before you go off on me, I was trying to protect both”  Raven explained.

“I don’t like being left, but you did return and save our lives, which is good for business”  Kaufman smiled.

Raven Files chapter 9

Kaufman was freezing, she tried to reach for more blanket but, that when she realized she didn’t have a blanket anymore.  She awoke to find she was no longer on the ship and, that next to her was Leblanc that was noticeable snoring louder then a hurricane.

“Oh he’s dead, I can’t believe he left me here, and with that idiot as well!”  Kaufman yelled as she stood up.

Raven knew that his friends wouldn’t be happy that he left them on the island but, he also knew that from this moment on, everything would be even more dangerous.  Raven looked out over the water and saw a large ring peaking out of the water.  Fearing the ship would crash into the large object he attempted to turn away but, the ring’s large crystal on top fired a light at the ship.  The wheel locked up and the ship began to be pulled towards the ring.

“Zaude, it has to be”  He said.

As the ship got closer the pull began to lessen.  Raven was able to dock next to Zaude.  He spent a minute looking for an entrance.  He suddenly saw a small hole in the bottom of the ring.  He approached the hole and investigated.

“This wasn’t natural, someone blew up a part of the structure to get inside”  He said.

Seeing no other options, Raven stepped into the hole and gasped.  Zaude looked so much smaller outside.  It was a huge city on the inside.  Raven figured that it must been some gateway to another world.  He walkthrough noting the large pillars of ivory, and the golden statues of Entellica.  He noted Phaeroh, and Gustoes which he had past encounters with among other Entellica that he hadn’t seen before.   Raven also noticed though that a large ivory formation of the Moon had been destroyed.

As Raven entered the next room he saw a tall and slender man with a sickle.  He recognized him from their last encounter at Norcpolio Stadium.  He took his long weapon and swiped at an ivory moon, which fell and broke.

“Yeager!  So it was you that broke in, and you who dishonored this holy place”  Raven growled in anger.

“Aye, What is the little birdie going to do about it?”  Yeager laughed.

Raven fired a barrage of arrows but, Yeager knock all of which down with his sickle.  He then went on the offense charging Raven.  Raven pulled out from his bag of tricks a small ball.  He rolled it on the ground towards the running combatant.  The ball opened as it rolled and smaller marbles rolled Yeager’s way.  Which he slipped on.  Raven stood over him as he laid on the ground however; not to be outdone Yeager swept Raven’s legs out with his sickle.

He rose and lifted his huge reaper over his head, and drove it down towards Raven.  Raven fired an arrow up at his chest as well and the two warriors got each others weapons into the chest.  Raven and Yeager laid on the floor sensing the end  maybe near for both.  Raven sees a figure in corner of his eye as he loses conscience.

Raven Files chapter 8

After looking over the map that the Kritian gave Raven, they cast off their new ship.  The Fietra was a step up from the Moneymaker they had before.  It had eight canon, and two sets of large sails that made the large ship just as fast if not faster then the small ship.  In the distance, Raven noticed a tower and much to his confusion Kaufman seemed to be sending their new ship right for it.

“Kaufman!  Veer left now we’re going to hit that tower!”  Raven shouted.

Kaufman looked over the landscape and, shook her head.  She saw nothing there.  She figured that the sea was playing tricks on Raven.  But suddenly the ship slammed into something.

“What?  There’s nothing there what did we hit?”  Kaufman shocked and in disbelief.

Raven stood next to the edge of the deck and looked over the tower which no one else seem to see.  Then he remembered something written on the map.  “The path of Zaude will only be revealed to those who have the eyes of the moon”  He said to himself quietly.  He took the wheel from Kaufman and pulled it hard away from the tower.  The wood of the Fietra cracked and popped as the ship brushed across the huge structure.

“We’re taking in water”  Kaufman declared.

“We need to moor somewhere and repair the hull”  Raven replied.

Raven looked around and saw Norpolico was in the distance but, he knew that wasn’t an ideal spot for them there.  The moment they docked they would be arrested for false charge of murder.  The next closet port was several hours away but, there was no choice for them.  He ordered Leblanc that he and the crew lighten their load as much as possible.

“Silverware, treasure, clothes, even the rum throw it overboard now”  Raven screamed.

“Not the rum sir”  They cried.

“Would you rather die drunk or live sober men?”  Raven proclaimed.

Honestly some of them probably would had chose dying drunk but, they followed the order anyways.  Raven continued to sail the crippled ship, when he sees an island.

“Kaufman do you see that island?”  He pointed at it.

“No, are you feeling ok Raven?”  She asked.

He had not the time to explain how he could see things others couldn’t, only thing he knew was at the moment that island was their best chance.  He sailed to it but, as he approached its beach huge waves began to pick up the ship and the ship was thrown onto the island.  Much to all their amazement the ship wasn’t damaged to badly in the process.

“Still think I’m seeing things that ain’t there?”  Raven asked.

“How is that even possible?  Were those things invisible but, if that was the case how come you saw them?”  Kaufman asked.

Raven took out the map and showed her the note about only those with the eyes of the moon can see the path to Zaude.  All Children of the Full Moon had silver eyes but, this was the first time he ever noticed that his eyes were different then other people’s.  He assigned repair jobs to various members of the crew then he went down to his quarters.  He opened a chest of his most prized belongings.  A dragon’s tooth, a griffion’s feather, a phoenix’s ashes, and a long wood instrument.  The instrument was an antique from Earth.  He had self taught himself to play it.  He picked the instrument.  After feeling along the bottom of the chest he found the other part of the instrument he placed it into the proper place and began play it.

The sweet melody of the ancient instrument traveled throughout the ship and prompted Kaufman and Leblanc to check out what the sound was.  Leblanc was about to say something in the middle of the piece but Kaufman placed her hand over his mouth.  When the piece was completed Raven heard a small amount of hand clapping.

“Wow sir I didn’t know you played the Baboon” Leblanc said.

Kaufman and Raven both put their hands over the foreheads and wondered what was the schools teaching the kids today?

“A baboon is an extinct animal from Earth, if I remember my music history classes that’s the oboe” Kaufman explained.

“It is, I got this baby as a reward of saving a music teacher’s life against blood alliance, I find playing it relaxing, and I think you both agree this is a stressful time”  Raven declared.

“The repairs should be done in a day or two, how about we have concert I have an ancient instrument myself called the violin”  Kaufman suggested.

“What’s a violin?”  Leblanc asked.

Raven and Kaufman both laughed and sighed at the same time.

“You’re hopeless”  They said together.